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Editors' Review

If backing up your folders is one of those good ideas you never get around to, Carbonite Online PC Backup might be for you. Carbonite tales the effort out of your contingency plan with software that automatically backs up your selected data and stores it, encrypted, on online servers. The format and services are useful and intuitive.

An entertaining video tutorial explains your options for selecting and deselecting individual files or folders to back up. You can set your preferences to auto-backup your data each time you change it, or run back-ups manually. You can permanently exclude some data from being saved, and quickly recover files from your online holdings. Carbonite has an unobtrusive color-coded system for communicating the status of your file back-ups, so you can determine you status at a glance. For instance, a green dot by the folder on your desktop signals a successful online back-up.

Some downsides we encountered were the high CPU usage and the long initial back-up. Any logging out activity, such as a screensaver session that needs a password to end, will stall the back up process. The download itself is lengthy and annoyingly requires a reboot. New users are also required to register an e-mail address. Despite the setbacks, users who want a hands-off and off-site back up solution should find Carbonite a worthy investment of time and money.

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Publisher's Description

Carbonite Online PC Backup will automatically back up all the data on your PC. Most importantly, Carbonite is a "set and forget" service. It takes just one minute to download and install and then you're all set because we constantly monitor your PC for new and modified files (and backup only the difference). And we won't slow down your PC/Internet. Carbonite is also integrated with the Windows file explorer so you won't have to learn a new interface. Data is encrypted before it leaves your PC and remains encrypted on our servers. Carbonite is ideal for home use, frequent travelers, students, small businesses--we provide "Backup for Everyone.

I couldn't install the product. Techie gave some canned answer that this was a known problem, sent me an email on how to fix local hosts file, Continued below.

Summary

Continuation of cons: There was no problem with my local hosts file. You really get what you pay for. If your data is only worth $50 then go for it. If you data is more valuable than that, then invest in an external disk drive and do your own backups.

It will take weeks to complete you initial backup, and perhaps months should you switch computers; awful customer service without kindness, competence, or flexibility.

Summary

I have used Carbonite for 18 months. My initial backup of 125 gigs of data took six weeks, a long time to go without a total backup once you have decided you need one. It all worked fine until I bought a new computer. Carbonite seems to throttle data transfer the more data you have. I set up a new pc recently and partially changed my folder hierarchy (e.g. started storing documents in a folder not labeled 'my documents'). I was not willing to relinquish my already-backed up data until I was sure that my transition to a new computer had gone smoothly. I would have been happy simply to rearrange my backup to reflect my new folder hierarchy, and not have to re-start the backup process with essentially the same data. There is no such capacity through Carbonite. Thus, I initiated a backup of my new file structure alongside my prior one, and thanks to throttling, my new PC has not gone to sleep since I set it up twelve weeks ago because the data is still transferring and Carbonite is always running (25 gigs still left to go!). I called Carbonite to ask how to work out a solution as I was not adding 125 gigs to my back up, I really was just moving my data under a slightly different folder hierarchy. (Customer service is only open during regular business hours.) Their customer service person told me that she could not access my account because their system was down. I told her that is was disconcerting that a data backup company could not access its own data. She replied that they were doing system maintenance. When I reminded her it was 11 AM on a Wednesday and that system maintenance is usually done at night when, you know, no customers are able to call - she hung up on me (I had been polite but firm). Bottom line: I have spent four of the last 18 month of my Carbonite membership with it running 24 hours a day ssssslllooowwwwwly. Bottom line: look elsewhere for a company that uses a scalpel rather than a hammer to control the backup process, and has customer service that can access your account during business hour and won't hang up on you.

I loaded the trial version of Carbonite on my iMac, running Snow Leopard. Mac immediately reported "Catalog file: No PEOF (Physical end of file)." Mac's disk utility said file system could not be recovered. I called Carbonite and they were no help.

Summary

I hope Carbonite has addressed this issue by now, but if not and if you have a Mac, I'd stay away!

Does not automatically backup videos and certain others types of files.Backup and restore can take many days if you have a lot of data.

Summary

Carbonite will not automatically back up your video files. Every time you create a new video you need to remember to tell Carbonite to back up that file. There are also other types of files (such as .exe files) that Carbonite will not back up unless you manually back up each one.

See this article on their web site:http://carbonite.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1381/kw/video

Carbonite reduces the amount of bandwidth they allow you to use as your backup set grows. Users who have a lot of data and therefore need the most bandwidth get the least bandwidth.

See this article on their website:http://carbonite.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1440

Support is terrible. One time I emailed them. After 1 week of no response, I called the support line. They claimed that they did respond. I checked the inbox, trash, etc... nowhere. Also, on hold for phone for 45 minutes for them to answer!

Summary

Well, here is the story.

I installed Carbonite and everything went really well. It quietly backed up in the background and it was easy to choose which files to backup. Then the fun began.

1) my computer's C drive crashed. But, I don't need to restore any of those files. All important files were on the E drive... which is still fine.2) I reloaded windows.3) I sent Carbonite an email asking how to transfer my subscription to my new windows install (same physical computer with a new hard drive for C: and a fresh windows install)4) after a week of not getting a response from Carbonite support, I called.5) support rep said they did email me back... well I never got it (double checked inbox, trash, junk). so, she sent it to me again.. Now I have the email that explains how to transfer my subscription6) Started the process and followed all directions for TRANSFERRING my subscription.7) Step 1 of the process was to reinstall Carbonite, and that went just fine.8) Walked through the directions precisely and chose to not restore any of my files. Remember, I don't need to restore... because the E: drive is still in good shape.9) kept hitting next to get through the steps, being very careful to not restore.10) Guess what, the Carbonite system decided to restore files anyways!!!11) I cancelled the restore process12) I got into the chat system... but the chat system was broken. I tried IE, and Chrome... no luck.13) Called support. I was #8 in line.14) 45 minutes later, the tech finally picked up.15) He told me to Click on the Cancel Restore option... which I had done already. He said that I had to then unfreeze the backup. I told him that the E: drive wasn't being monitored. I couldn't tell what it was backing up. The software was confused. At that point, there was clearly no way to get Carbonite to do what I wanted. So, I gave up.16) I have 326 days left on my subscription. I don't care. I'm uninstalling Carbonite and finding another solution. Crossing my fingers that I have better luck.

The bottom line is: try something else. Carbonite is great to set up, but it's a complete nightmare (both as software and as an organization) when you really need it.

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